Dr. Barry Kerkaert

When you talk to veterinarian Dr. Barry Kerkaert on the phone, you immediately get the feeling that this is a man on the move. In an average week, Kerkaert covers approximately 1,200 miles in southern Minnesota, northern Iowa and South Dakota, helping swine producers who are clients of the Pipestone (MN) Veterinary Clinic fine-tune their operations. As you speak, he's likely in his truck heading down a rural highway toward his next stop.

You also get the idea that Kerkaert is a consultant who is constantly pushing to help Pipestone's clients move to the next level of efficiency. And since feed costs make up 60 percent or more of the total cost of production, Kerkaert says feed efficiency is one of the things he and his partners at the clinic — Dr. Gerald Kennedy, Dr. Gordon Spronk, Dr. Jay Bobb and Dr. Larry Goeltz — push the hardest for. PROGRESSIVE PORK caught up with Kerkaert recently to talk about his quest to improve feed:gain ratios in nursery units and the role that feeder design plays in that quest.

Conversion Goals

"We'd like to see our nurseries (closing out) at 52 days after weaning with feed conversions of 1.35 to 1.5," says Kerkaert. Many of Kerkaert's clients are involved in the Pipestone System, a network of approximately 200 producer shareholders who obtain iso-weaned pigs from one of the system's sow units. Shareholders then follow recommended nursery management protocols and provide close-out records back to the system for ongoing data analysis.

Kerkaert says the 1.35 to 1.5 feed:gain goal is very do-able, providing the nursery utilizes feeders designed for maximum intake and minimum waste and makes proper feeder adjustment a top priority. Kerkaert says that if a nursery manager or employee leaves even two or three feeders improperly adjusted in a room with 24 feeders, it can impact feed efficiency. He stresses not only the need to monitor feeder adjustment, but also the importance of accurate adjustment.

He recommends feeders that have adjustment mechanisms designed for fine-tuning versus those that offer just a few agitator positions. Kerkaert also stresses the importance of making sure that feeders remain adjusted despite the antics of pigs or constant wear in a nursery. In addition, an effective nursery feeder offers excellent "flowability" for a variety of feed types and fat concentration levels.

"Our goal is to have one-half to one inch of fresh feed coming through the bump bar with about 80 to 85 percent of the metal feed pan showing at all times," says Kerkaert.

Kerkaert says that if a nursery must replace its feeders to achieve the results listed above, a good feeder design offers an excellent return on investment. "If a producer can shave just 3 points off their feed conversion ratio, they will see a $1.50 to 1.80 return per pig," says Kerkaert. "It easily justifles the cost of a good feeder."

Farmweld Feeders Set Themselves Apart

Kerkaert says that he's seen some real differences in the various feeder designs when it comes to feed:gain results. "I get to see a lot of different nursery feeders and I study very closely the resulting feed conversions," he says. "The one thing I've found is that those producers that have Farmweld Nursery Feeders consistently rank at the top when measuring feed conversion."

Kerkaert cites the Farmweld crank or "screw" adjustment mechanism as a key reason the feeder performs so well. He says the mechanism allows for small, precise improvements in feeder adjustment which can often make the difference in feed efficiency. He also says that the adjusters' hook lock feature keeps the agitator from getting out of adjustment.

"With the Farmweld feeder, we don't have to compromise on adjustment. We've found we can really fine-tune our adjustment and set them just perfectly," says Kerkaert, adding that the Pipestone veterinary team refers to Farmweld equipment as the "gold standard" of livestock equipment.